CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Former Chicopee Police General public Information Officer Mike Wilk is again on the drive.
The Chicopee Mayor’s Business confirmed this to 22News Tuesday evening. Wilk retired just after remaining demoted above offensive social media posts. Wilk claimed the demotion did not enjoy a role in his decision.
According to the mayor’s business, Wilk’s new place as a specific officer will have nothing at all to do with his former general public info officer posture.
Faculty Committee member Jim Tanhauser Jr. is keeping a information conference Wednesday afternoon at the Chicopee Town Hall to tackle the re-choosing of Officer Mike Wilk.
Bishop Talbert Swan of the Better Springfield NAACP sent 22Information a copy of the pursuing e-mail he sent to Chicopee Mayor Vieau Wednesday.
“Mayor Vieau,
A person calendar year in the past, right after discovering racist social media posts by Officer Michael Wilk, you stated, “Racism has no position below in our city…no spot at all.” The Chicopee metropolis council unanimously handed a resolution to declare racism as a community well being crisis. You even further stated, “We will not tolerate racism or loathe in this city.“ you removed Officer Wilke as the general public details officer for the Chicopee Law enforcement Section and certain residents of the metropolis that your administration would take swift and speedy motion towards racist actions by community officers. Your response in the wake of Officer Wilkes actions went versus the norm of most departments throughout the area, which usually are to defend and shield officers accused of incorrect behavior. A lot of inhabitants of your city and further than counseled you for using these kinds of a stance.
It is tough to fathom the rationale as to why Officer Wilk has been rehired a 12 months after retiring pursuing public outcry above his racist actions. Sentiments expressed by Officer Wilk, that protesters really should be shot, immigrants slice by razor wire, and Black athletes protesting injustice ought to be addressed like George Floyd was by convicted assassin Derek Chauvin, are harmful, racist, and unconscionable. If the Chicopee Law enforcement Office harbors persons with violent, white supremacist, sights about Black men and women, non-white immigrants, and other people, how can non-white people of Chicopee and folks in the location who work, shop, pay a visit to family members, or push by way of your town, have any confidence that they will be handled justly when they come across regulation-enforcement?
I agree with what you mentioned very last calendar year, racism has no location in Chicopee and it should not be tolerated. Nevertheless, enabling the rehiring of an brazenly racist law enforcement officer is the epitome of tolerating racism. On behalf of the Increased Springfield NAACP, whose catchment area contains the city of Chicopee, I urge you to rethink this action and to instantly dismiss Officer Wilk. Allowing Officer Wilk again on the law enforcement power is tantamount to a daycare center or elementary college rehiring a identified pedophile just after they’ve been dismissed.
Constituents of our department, which contains a lot of citizens of Chicopee, stand with metropolis councilor Jim Tanhauser and all people good moral acutely aware in condemning the allowance of a racist to after again carry a gun and a badge and to have the lives of Black and brown persons in his arms. Failure to right this egregious oversight will be a staIn on your history and decry any previous condemnation of racism that you have at any time uttered. I am hopeful you will do the ideal matter.
Sincerely,
Bishop Talbert W. Swan, II
President, Bigger Springfield NAACP”
